It is confined to northern Cambodia, with a few birds surviving in extreme southern Laos and a recent sighting in Yok Đôn National Park, Vietnam.

There are dark bands across the back of the head and shoulder area and the pale silvery-grey wing tips also have black crossbars.

It was still fairly common in the Mekong Delta until the 1920s but is now almost depleted, with a small remnant population breeding in Cambodia, southern Laos and possibly in Vietnam.

Feeding flocks may consist of a breeding pair or small family group and have been observed mixing with black ibises.

[6] The primary causes seem to be drainage of wetlands for cultivation and the epidemic clear-cutting of forest for rubber, cassava, wood pulp and teak plantations in south-east Asia.

A reduction in seasonal pools in forest, previously made by now depleted populations of megafauna (especially wild Asian water buffalo), may also negatively effect them.

Local droughts, possibly related to global climate change, have appeared to have further compromised the breeding habitat and behaviour of the species.

Increasing ecotourism in the region and education to local people is clearly required for the species to successfully recover from the brink of extinction.